Summary: Five attorneys exit struggling law firm Dickstein Shapiro for smaller firm, Zelle LLP
This week, five Dickstein Shapiro lawyers joined Zelle LLP, Bloomberg BNA reports. This is another string of exits from the Washington, D.C., office, and another sign of trouble for Dickstein Shapiro.
James Robertson Martin signed on to co-chair the Zelle’s antitrust and unfair competition practice. At Dickstein Shapiro, he served as the head of business development.
Jennifer Duncan Hackett, Woody N. Peterson, Nick Cheolas and Allison Vissichelli are also joining Zelle, a firm of 75 lawyers. High-profile clients include Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
A press release from Zelle stated that the five attorneys will “expand its antitrust and financial services litigation capabilities” in its newly opened Washington, D.C., branch. Within the last year, the firm has opened new offices in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. They have also launched Zelle International in London.
In December, JD Journal reported that Dickstein Shapiro strongly considered a merger. In 2012, they had almost 350 lawyers but by December 2015 that number was down to 160.
Bloomberg reports that the shrinkage of the firm is due to numerous factors, which include a mass partner exodus and a change in intellectual property law.
Source: Bloomberg BNA
Source: JD Journal
Source: Zelle LLP